Glossary: O

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Oirish
Derogatory term for any `stage-Irish' or stereotypical behaviour put on for the purposes of ingratiating oneself with or obtaining money from foreigners. See leprechaun, sense (ii).
One
Often pronounced "wan"; a person of the female sex. Usually qualified, e.g. "young one", "oul' one".Note the use of the article: "A young one" or "An oul' one" can refer to any young or old female of the speaker's acquaintance, but "the young one" refers to the speaker's girlfriend or daughter, while "the oul' one" refers to his wife or his or her mother. (This is a common feature of Irish speech, using "the" rather than a possessive pronoun like "my" or "your". "How's the brother?" "He's grand, but the sister has me tormented.")

See fella.

One-and-one
(Dublin) Often pronounced "wan an' wan", a one-and-one is the standard order in a chipper, that is, a portion of fish and a portion ("single") of chips. Supposedly arose because, when chippers first appeared in Ireland, they were run by Italian immigrants who didn't speak much English, so customer and proprietor had to resort to sign language: "one of them and one of them".
Opening hours
Until recently, pubs were open until 11:30pm Monday-Saturday and until 11:00pm on Sunday evenings during summertime (roughly May-October) and until 11:00pm at other times of the year. All pubs close for two hours on Sunday afternoon; this was called the Holy Hour.

New legislation has liberalised the situation somewhat. Pubs are now allowed to stay open until 12:30am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, and 11:30pm every other night of the week. The Holy Hour on Sunday has been abolished.

Orange Order
A Unionist, Protestant sectarian organisation, most often associated with Northern Ireland, but with lodges in the Republic and worldwide. Named after King William of Orange, the Protestant king who defeated the Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne. The cliché Orangeman-- the viciously incorrigible anti-Catholic bigot, attired in sash and bowler hat, defending his right to march where he's not wanted-- is a common bogeyman in Republican propaganda.

Despite professing loyalty to the Crown of Great Britain, most governments could do without the sort of activities that the Orange Order engage in to profess their loyalty. As far back as 1813, their carry-on was described as

a spurious and illiberal loyalty which grows up amongst the vulgar classes, and which is very turbulent, bigoted, riotous and affronting, very saucy, and overbearing, almost proud of transgression, necessarily producing exasperation, and often leading to the effusion of blood.
Baron Smith, in a letter to Sir William Gregory, 4 September 1813. Quoted in Modern Ireland 1600-1972 by R.F. Foster
Ossified
see drunk.
Oul'
Dublin pronunciation of "old".
Our friends in the travelling community
Ironic term for the Travellers, an ethnic minority in Ireland, who live in caravans and move from place to place (generally moved on by irate homeowners). Like most minorities, a lot of hand-wringing is done over what to call them. Like the `African- Americans' in the US, no sooner is one politically-correct ephithet coined to describe them, but it almost immediately becomes pejorative. The term `itinerant' was used while this author was growing up, but has been since declared to be beyond the pale. Irish people who don't give a shit about PC refer to travellers as tinkers or knackers. The Travellers have their own language called Sheldru, which, like most native languages, is in decline. They have large close-knit families; arranged marriages are still common, and feuds between families can get quite vicious. Many are illiterate, alcholism is common, and their life expectancy is far lower than that of the "settled community". They make their living dealing in scrap and begging.

Any foreign visitor in Ireland subjected to a self-congratulatory monologue by an Irish bore on what a charitable and Christian country Ireland is should immediately ask for that person's opinions on the Travellers. You will be subjected to a fearsome barrage of bile and blind hyprocrisy that will keep you chuckling long after you return to your native shores.